- Joined
- Feb 19, 2008
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I'm struggling with camel syndrome right now. This happens every time I begin a new story, and it's the reason I haven't written a trove of novels to date.
My story begins with an idea. Sometimes a cluster of ideas. There's the initial excitement, the writing ideas down on my arm while I'm at a restaurant, the scribbling into napkins or Post-Its at work and carrying them around in my pocket all day like some smug brilliance.
I sit down to write. It's GREAT. Ideas and imagery flow out of me like musical ribbons filled with dancing unicorns and glittering stars. It's all just peachy.
And then the same thing always gets in the way: Oh yeah. There has to be a PLOT.
I have so many ideas ping-ponging around in my brain. So many lovely themes and character eccentricities. But I'm at point A, and all that good stuff is at point B.. over the camel's hump. And when I realize the complexities of my own plot, it's like standing in a room after a hurricane hit it, trying to decide what to pick up first.
It's chaos. I have outlines. I have ideas. Yet all I seem capable of doing is conjuring up chains of meaningless (though sometimes nice) imagery to stall for more time.. This ALWAYS happens. It's the worst part about writing a first draft for me.
How to I make it over this pesky camel's hump?
My story begins with an idea. Sometimes a cluster of ideas. There's the initial excitement, the writing ideas down on my arm while I'm at a restaurant, the scribbling into napkins or Post-Its at work and carrying them around in my pocket all day like some smug brilliance.
I sit down to write. It's GREAT. Ideas and imagery flow out of me like musical ribbons filled with dancing unicorns and glittering stars. It's all just peachy.
And then the same thing always gets in the way: Oh yeah. There has to be a PLOT.
I have so many ideas ping-ponging around in my brain. So many lovely themes and character eccentricities. But I'm at point A, and all that good stuff is at point B.. over the camel's hump. And when I realize the complexities of my own plot, it's like standing in a room after a hurricane hit it, trying to decide what to pick up first.
It's chaos. I have outlines. I have ideas. Yet all I seem capable of doing is conjuring up chains of meaningless (though sometimes nice) imagery to stall for more time.. This ALWAYS happens. It's the worst part about writing a first draft for me.
How to I make it over this pesky camel's hump?